


lost and found. ༶⋆ ༄

by myuzutea



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied Sexual Content, Implied Smut, Nozomi/Eli, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, a lot of crying, ayase eli + toujou nozomi, but there will be a happy ending, eli + nozomi, eli and nozomi cope, eli ayase + nozomi toujou, eli/nozomi, if you read till here ily, now go read the fic ;3, nozoeli - Freeform, nozomi + eli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26840197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myuzutea/pseuds/myuzutea
Summary: eli and nozomi run into each other at the train station and fall in love all over again
Relationships: Ayase Eli & Toujou Nozomi, Ayase Eli/Toujou Nozomi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	lost and found. ༶⋆ ༄

**Author's Note:**

> [ content/trigger warning: mention of self-harm, suicide but none of that happen but there is still a mention ]
> 
> hello! this is my first post on this site and i collabed with admin 🐝 from @myuzutea! if you came here from searching up nozoeli, you're in the right place :D if you came here from our instagram account, thank you for your support!
> 
> enjoy the fic!!
> 
> –admin ❄️

Nozomi had lived 22 years of her life solitarily. Every day, she would get up, watch the sunrise, make breakfast, turn the television on, check her mailbox… there was a never-ending list of mundane things to do, but it offered her lonely days some form of distraction and consolation.

However, one of those days seemed to have been the starting point of something different for her, the start of something new. Occasionally, she would need to take the train to the neighbouring town. Her neighbourhood was kind of secluded, and it offered few amenities for a lonely girl like Nozomi to pass the time. It did not help that she lived on the fringe of town, but at least she could reach the neighbouring town with much ease.

In some ways, living a mundane life relaxed Nozomi. She had seen a lot of things on television. Running traffic, air clouded by fog, traffic jams. She found a trace of solace in the fact that she was not a part of that kind of life.

However, her heart sank when she saw crowds of people pouring out of the train station. It was the festive season, and many people were migrating out of her town, flocking back to their family homes for a week. Nozomi squeezed through as best as she could, standing on her toes momentarily to see which direction she was going in.

After about a minute, Nozomi could hear the distant wail of the train as it encroached and entered the train station. The crowd started moving towards the platform, jostling and bumping into her. She was like a lost puppy in a scary world. She had no one to rely on.

Out of the blue, she felt herself fall backwards as someone jostled her. Her left shoe lost its footing and slipped off the edge of the platform, sending Tojo Nozomi into the path of an oncoming train.

Before she could react to her brush with death, she vaguely saw a flash of blonde hair fly past her eyes as she pressed her eyelids shut, bracing for impact. The train barreled past her, and for a few seconds, she thought she was dead. Just then, she felt a nudge on her side. “You’re okay…” a voice spoke.

Nozomi opened her eyes only for a stranger to flood into her vision. She had bright blonde hair and deep blue eyes, and she was carrying Nozomi by her back. As people streamed around them to board the train, throwing irritated glances and glares of disapproval, all Nozomi could think about was the stranger who saved her life. They were stuck in that position for a few more moments before the blonde stranger gently set Nozomi on her feet and walked in the opposite direction. Nozomi longingly stared as the stranger walked away, getting more and more obscure until she finally vanished like a mirage. And the train horn cried, the doors slammed shut, and Nozomi was whisked back into reality as she started on her mundane routine. Except that it was not at all mundane for her to have been saved by a stranger. And a stranger she felt a weird connection to which she could not explain.

* * *

Nozomi returned to the station a few hours later, carrying bags of food and drinks. She sat on the bus home, gazing at the wilting, twilight-dusted trees along the streets. _I wonder when they’ll grow back?_ , she fleetingly thought at the back of her head.

For the remainder of the evening, Nozomi cooked a bowl of miso ramen and took refuge from the infringing cold of winter under her _futon_. There was always a strange time around the middle of autumn which Nozomi liked: the transition from autumn to winter. By mid-autumn, all the trees would have lost their leaves, emptily standing beside sidewalks coated with rainwater and the occasional puddle. By then, whatever flower, fruit or shrub clinging on to its last sliver of life would have been defeated by the increasingly cold nights and shorter days. On the last week of autumn, winter would have taken over so much of the sleepy town that everyone just assumed that it was winter already. But Nozomi liked clinging on to the final moments of autumn. It gave her a chance to jump in puddles and pick up autumn leaves before they would all be buried by snow. She could still go out in single layers of clothes and not have to pay heating bills.

Overnight, the clouds in the sky fell to the ground and the sky was clear at the break of dawn. As soft light rays broke through Nozomi’s translucent curtains, she gradually opened her eyes.

That day would be the official end of her mundane routine, unbeknownst to her. Nozomi took the trash out before riding her bicycle to the coffee shop three minutes from her house. She had always gone there on Thursdays. A few years back, it was for the free coffee refills on Thursdays. Even after the promotion ended, Nozomi still kept going back to the coffee shop. Sometimes she would read. Sometimes she would doodle on the napkins. That day, she stepped into the coffee shop as usual, and upon noticing her, the cashier nodded slightly. Nozomi always ordered a lukewarm latté with a slice of cheese-cake, and the cashier would always prepare that after acknowledging Nozomi.

 _No, no…_ Nozomi thought, stepping out of the coffee shop and re-entering. Was she seeing things? The usual cashier she glanced at every time she stepped in was gone. In her place was a tall, blonde girl with deep blue eyes. “It’s you…” she whispered. Nozomi’s eyes widened. She felt her heart skip a beat, and a flash ran through her brain as if she had seen the blonde girl before. “Nozomi?” the cashier murmured after a few seconds.

It was the same girl who saved her at the train station the day before.

\--

The blonde girl made Nozomi her usual order and asked Nozomi if they could sit down for a talk. The both of them settled down in the corner seat Nozomi always sat in. The corner seat meant a lot to her, because she always felt warmer in the corners of rooms, and especially needing so to shield herself from the autumn-winter cold.

“I didn’t know you lived here,” she remarked, setting her coffee down.

“Why did you choose to work as a barista?” Nozomi wondered.

“I chose to work at a coffee shop to learn more about coffee. A few years after I graduated, I decided to leave the path of an idol and restart humbly. Not as a member of µ’s, but as Eli Ayase.”

Nozomi gently nodded. “So what brings you to this town?”

“The franchise transferred me here because the previous cashier left the job. I came here to take over the café here. With or without the winter holiday season, this café is quite empty, I was told. I should be able to manage to be both a barista and a cashier fine.”

“I can vouch for that,” Nozomi nodded. “So it really is you, huh? Eli?”

* * *

Lying on her bed, Eli tapped mindlessly on her phone. She thought about the conversation she had with Nozomi a few hours ago. It was clear that she had become more withdrawn since they last met each other. Nozomi was too accustomed to living a quiet life in a secluded town.

how are you? _No… too cliché._ do you wanna come over sometime? _Too clingy… what should I do?_ Eli buried her face in her pillow, thinking of something to send Nozomi. They had exchanged phone numbers earlier, and Eli was eager to reconnect with Nozomi after so long. But she had no idea what to say…

Eli was not alone. Nozomi frowned as she stared at Eli’s profile picture. She had not seemed this troubled in ages. _Does she still like me?_ Nozomi wondered. She knew that Eli had some form of feelings for herself, and she also liked Eli back, but neither of them was confident to confess to each other during their glory school idol days.

 _Ugh, I’m so tired of waiting! I’m just going to send the first message._ Nozomi decided, picking her phone up again. do you wanna meet at the coffeeshop again? i live 3 mins away ˆˆ Nozomi pressed send.

 _nozomi sent you a message_ , the notification on Eli’s phone read. sure, see you there tomorrow :) replied Eli. Heaving a sigh of relief, she slid under the covers of her blanket, smiling to herself. She was kind of excited to talk to Nozomi.

Nozomi still had a lot of questions in her head. Something felt… off. She felt like Eli had become a different person, just as Eli had felt towards Nozomi. She could not identify exactly what, but Eli just _seemed different_ all of a sudden. She had encountered another Eli Ayase, not the same person who used to be her bandmate. “I hope I’ll get to know more tomorrow,” she whispered.

They both spent the rest of the day lazing in their own homes, thinking about their meeting tomorrow and feeling both anxious and hopeful.

The next day rolled around quite quickly, and Nozomi awoke at 6.30 a.m. She hoped to wait for Eli outside the café before Eli came to open for business. _I have to show her that I am as serious as I was back then._ Determinedly, Nozomi brushed her teeth, washed her face and promptly set off for Eli’s café on her bicycle.

To her surprise, Eli had already finished setting up the café for the day and was already cooking something in the kitchen. Upon hearing the wind chimes clinking as Nozomi pushed the doors open, Eli called, “Nozomi? Is that you?” Nozomi braced her vocal cords before shouting a “Yes!” back. She had not projected her voice that loud since her school idol days, and in a way, it was refreshing to shout again. “Take a seat first!” Eli said.

Eli came out of the kitchen with two plates of omelettes and some buttered toast a few minutes later, smiling at Nozomi. She gasped. “Did you cook something for me?” Eli proudly nodded. “I’ve already placed the money in the cash register, so this one is one the house,” she declared, placing the steaming hot food in front of Nozomi.

Both of them dug in. “This is one of the best omelettes I’ve had!” Nozomi commented. “It’s even better than the ones the previous barista made.” “I’m glad you like it,” Eli beamed. The two of them seemed to be paused at that moment, staring into each other’s eyes. After a few seconds, Nozomi blushed, looking aside. _She still cares a lot about me…_ Nozomi felt relieved. For the rest of the day, she read, sipped coffee and chatted with Eli. They were almost the only people inside the café, and Eli only needed to tend to her work twice – the first to refill the coffee machine, the second to take a customer’s order. They had the whole café to themselves for the majority of those few hours, and that was enough for them to catch up on the past few years of each others’ lives. Nozomi slightly broke out of her usual quietness, fueled by Eli’s anecdotes and jokes. She laughed as loud as she wanted to, something which she had not done in very long. They felt like they were 16 again.

“So… have you moved to this town yet?” Nozomi asked Eli. “No, I’m really broke. For now, I live around 45 minutes away in another town,” Eli laughed. “You can come to my house if you want to.”

Nozomi obliged, nodding eagerly. “Of course, are you available today?” Eli nodded. They both went back and forth for a while and they ended up deciding to meet right after Eli’s shift ended at four.

* * *

“I’m scared…” Nozomi whispered as the two of them got off at the precinct Eli lived in. The evening peak hour crowd was just starting, and there were bright lights and flashy signs everywhere. “You can hold on to me if you want,” Eli reassured, patting Nozomi’s head. Nozomi blushed from Eli’s gesture, shyly nodding and wrapping her hands around Eli’s arm.

The both of them got to an open field outside the train station. There was a food festival set up on half of the field, and the other half was open for people to picnic if they preferred open-air seating. Nozomi and Eli shared a skewer of _takoyaki_ , and Eli won a soft toy for Nozomi at a game booth. They sat down on the grass afterward, admiring the sunset and the clouds.

“This reminds me of so long ago,” Nozomi sighed with a touch of sentimentality.

“You mean, when we were in µ’s?”

“Yeah… that day everyone came to my house, and we ended up standing in the snow talking about our hopes for Love Live.”

“Now that you mention it, you are kind of right.”

“I’m so glad we found each other again…” Nozomi said, leaning on Eli’s shoulder. Just then, some children playing a distance away exclaimed. Nozomi and Eli looked up, along with the other people sitting on the field.

Small white specks of snow started to fall from the sky. Nozomi gasped. It was just like 6 years ago, when she was with all her friends. Literally.

µ’s meant a lot to Nozomi, as a child who grew up largely alone. Even at 22 she had not found solace in anyone, her closest acquaintance being the previous cashier at the coffee shop. She had gone through so much with the other 8 girls that it pained her to graduate, knowing that µ’s would disband afterwards.

Nozomi ended up burying all her thoughts inside of the darkest parts of her heart, locked away like fish in a lake sealed under a layer of ice. But through the winter, she had found a glimmer of warmth and hope. The girl she had a crush on for so long, the girl she longed to see again countless times, the girl she was so afraid that had changed… Nozomi realised everything. She was scared that Eli had grown distant from her, and even more so that she herself had grown distant from Eli after hiding her pain away all those years ago. But there she was, sitting with Eli on the grass as snow started to fall.

“We used to do this a lot in Otonokizaka…” Nozomi smiled. “What do you mean?” Eli said.

Nozomi got up from her feet and took a fistful of snow, rolling it on the ground until it had formed a large enough sphere to stack on. She did this again and again until she had three spheres stacked upwards from largest to smallest. Using the finished _takoyaki_ skewer, she drew two eyes and a mouth on her snowman. Eli gasped as the memory unlocked in her head.

To Eli’s relief, as well, Nozomi had not forgotten completely about her. She felt a warmth bloom in her heart. The girl she had feelings for was right beside her, rekindling their past in the present they shared. Just then, Nozomi called out to her.

Eli stopped in her tracks, just as she was about to finish making her snowman. “Yes?”

Nozomi stared silently, looking at her with the tiniest smirk, her hands nicely placed behind her back.

The blonde walked up to her, well aware of what that meant. Back in their school days, it usually meant she was up to no good. She cleared her throat. "Nozomi?"

“Ericchi… I just wanted to tell you something…”

Her breath hitched. Tell her what? 

“That…”

“…That…?”

“You… suck!” Nozomi swiftly brought her hands that were neatly placed in the back forward, revealing a small snowball in between her mittens. With a soft giggle, she threw the snowball at Eli, which landed right smack in the centre of her face. Eli’s eyes widened for a short moment as she tried to process everything. She had taken a break from studying before she headed on to university for quite some time now, so her reaction time was… not the best.

“Eli?” Nozomi asked, concerned. Had Eli forgotten? They’d always have snowball fights after school in Otonokizaka’s field when it was winter and there’d be snow piling up everywhere. She remembered, right?

“Nozomi!” Before she knew it, she felt the cold touch of a snowball on her already freezing face. She laughed softly, her teal eyes reflecting the lights of the city. “So this is how it is, huh?” She instantly kneeled down, rolling up yet another ball. Eli did the same, preparing for her next attack. “You started it! You can’t just say that!” Eli responded, half giggling, half speaking as she squinted her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. “You’re not gonna get out of this alive, Nozomi!”

“Not if I get you first!”

The two flung snowballs at each other at full force, laughing like little children as they brushed off the small bits of snow that stuck to their clothes. It felt the same as last time. Maybe nothing really changed, after all.

Eventually, the two began slowing down to a stop. “Geez, I haven’t done much exercise lately,” Nozomi spoke, attempting to catch her breath as she bent over, placing her hands on her knees. “Tell me about it,” Eli responded with a grin. She wasn’t really tired, but it had been so long since she’d seen Nozomi smile that much. It was nice.

\--

Nozomi walked towards Eli and gently took her face. “You’re so warm…” her breath condensed in front of her.

Eli sat down beside her snowman. “Sit down, Nozomi,” she mumbled.

Just like the water falling from the sky, time seemed to have frozen for the both of them. Nozomi sat down beside Eli slowly, making sure not to slip on the snow. Eli leaned over to Nozomi’s cheek and pecked it tenderly, careful not to injure Nozomi.

“Ericchi…” Nozomi muttered. “I love you…”

Eli leaned in towards Nozomi, and this time, she kissed her on the lips for a second. Nozomi’s eyes widened. “I love you too, No–” Eli whispered. But before she could complete her sentence, Nozomi had placed her own lips onto Eli’s. The two of them passionately kissed as the snow fell around them. Nozomi’s cold lips felt the warmth of Eli’s breath as they kissed, and Eli’s heart was beating so fast she thought she was going to combust right there and then.

Nozomi embraced Eli afterwards, and the two of them remained there for a while. “I don’t want to let go,” Eli whispered.

* * *

People groaned in frustration upon reading the notices in the train station. Some stations had to be closed as a blizzard had befallen the neighbouring towns, including Nozomi’s.

“Thankfully I have you to take me in tonight,” Nozomi smiled. Eli nodded, taking Nozomi’s hand and leading her to the bus stop.

Upon reaching Eli’s house, Nozomi dug into her blankets after repeatedly confirming with Eli that she did not mind, to which Eli profusely nodded. "We used to be so close. You can do anything, make yourself at home, as they say. Just don’t burn the kitchen down," Eli shouted from inside the bathroom over the sound of running water. Nozomi smiled. She was so happy to have crossed paths again.

As a shivering Nozomi sipped a cup of hot tea under the blankets, she thought about how fast everything was going. Bumping into Nozomi again, then coming to her house a day later. _Am I going too fast? Is Eli okay with it? I know she hides a lot of her feelings just like me…_

Just then, Eli turned the water off in the bathroom and called out to Nozomi. “Are you cold? We can soak in the bath if it makes you feel warm.”

“We?” Nozomi paused. _I must’ve overthought… Eli’s the one taking it too fast. But I like that._

“Come out for a bit, Eli,” she replied. With a bathrobe wrapped around her body, Eli peeked out of the bathroom. “With _out_ the robe, ma’am,” Nozomi smugly smirked.

“Y-you first…” Eli blushed. “Both of us… together…” Nozomi seductively stared at Eli, undoing her hair scrunchie and unzipping her jacket, throwing them both onto the floor. Eli’s gaze softened as she started to untie her towel.

The two of them entered the bathroom, naked and left to their own devices.

* * *

Eli and Nozomi wore nightgowns, the latter wearing one of Eli’s. They were just the perfect size, as if the providence of the universe allowed Nozomi to fit into Eli’s clothes. Nozomi’s eyes suddenly opened, and she realised that she had fallen asleep for a few hours. Eli’s hand was on her stomach, and her leg was wrapped snugly around Nozomi’s.

Just then, Nozomi blushed slightly when she remembered what she had done in the bathroom with Eli. Eli’s hand had been in… not so comfortable positions. _On my thigh, my bare foot, in my– no, no, no no, it’s too embarrassing…_ Nozomi shuddered.

The time on the digital bedside clock read 5 a.m. Nozomi started towards the kitchen for a cup of water. On her way, she picked up some muffled sounds coming from behind her.

Jumping at the sound, many thoughts rushed through Nozomi’s head. _I-is Eli’s house haunted? Is there something behind me?_ She slowly turned around to look back into the dark bedroom only lit up by a hint of moonlight, only to see Eli sleeping soundly on the bed… or was she?

Nozomi went back to Eli’s side. She lovingly placed her hand on Eli’s forehead, only to discover that she was breaking out into a cold sweat. "Eli?" Nozomi softly gasped.

“Mm..mmph…” Eli moaned, slowly opening her eyes. “Are you okay?” Nozomi exclaimed.

“I’m sorry… I just had a bad dream,” Eli sighed, sitting up to face Nozomi. “I felt my heart beating really fast and I couldn’t breathe… I thought I was gonna die.”

“It’s ok,” Nozomi reassured Eli, hugging her. “Nozomi… I was so scared. I dreamt that you were angry at me… I’m not good enough for you,” Eli choked up. “No, no Eli, I love you so much. You meant a lot to me 6 years ago and you still do now,” Nozomi comforted Eli, stroking her back.

The two of them stayed like that for half an hour, Nozomi comforting a sobbing Eli. Eventually, Eli fell asleep in Nozomi’s arms and they both went back to cuddling.

Two hours passed, and Nozomi opened her eyes again. This time, sunlight was spilling through the windows and Eli had left for work. Nozomi yawned, throwing the blanket off her and getting her clothes to change back into. Just then, she noticed a note on the table.

_nozomi,_

_about the dream i had last night, i’m sorry for worrying you. i’m scared that i’m not enough to you. i probably took everything too fast last night and made you uncomfortable. i’m so sorry. you don’t have to come see me anymore, and i won’t look for you. let’s forget that we bumped into each other, alright?_

Nozomi was speechless.

A flurry of thoughts rushed through her head. _What would Eli do after writing something like that? Not want to see me anymore? Quit her job? Move away from here? Commit–_

Nozomi felt her heart skip a beat as she thought about all the possible things Eli could do to herself without her around to look after Eli. She changed out of Eli’s gown and threw her clothes on, rushing out of her house and to the train station.

On the way to the café, Nozomi felt extremely helpless. Her calls to Eli were not answered, let alone her messages. _She does have some kind of anxiety… will she act it out? Is she okay?_ Nozomi could not help but think. Even if she had no answers to her ten thousand questions, she still thought about them repeatedly, asking herself the same things over and over again.

By the time she got to the café, Nozomi was drenched in sweat in spite of the 10° weather. To her relief, Eli was sitting behind the cash register, looking dejected. She looked up at Nozomi, not saying anything.

“Eli? Are you ok?” Nozomi rushed behind the counter. Eli nodded, looking down guiltily. "I’m so sorry I worried you…

“It’s ok, as long as you didn’t do anything to yourself? Did you?” Nozomi pressed, lightly picking up Eli’s arm and rolling the sleeves of her uniform back. Seeing that there were no marks, she heaved a sigh of relief.

“I just feel like… we need more time to think through this. I don’t want to rush through anything, and I don’t think you’d want to either. We only just met two days ago, so… it’d be best if we spent some time apart," Eli murmured. Nozomi pondered about what Eli had just said. _But I love you a lot, Eli. Everything is going at the right pace for me and I know I love you truly and sincerely._

“I just need to think about how I feel. I know you told me so many times that you love me, and of course I believe you… but I’m questioning myself about my dream last night. Do I really love you like I did in 2014? Or is this all on the spur of the moment? I’m sorry, Nozomi, I just…” Eli choked up again.

“No no no, don’t apologise. If you need time to evaluate and understand your feelings, I get it. I’ll stay at home for now, okay? Just message me or call me if you think of something new or you need help. Just promise me that you won’t harm yourself, alright?” Nozomi reassured.

Eli slightly nodded, and Nozomi hugged her one last time before leaving the café.

* * *

It was not easy for either of them. Nozomi bawled her eyes out the moment she got home. _She’s really changed… I knew it, we’ve grown too far apart and it can’t be reversed anymore. This is all my fault…_

Nozomi felt like her biggest fear had come true all over again. She was going to be separated from Eli again. All she could do for a few days was lie down on her bed, cry, eat, and sleep. The future seemed so uncertain for her. The fact that Eli had parted with Nozomi again − but much more suddenly this time − had kind of scarred Nozomi. She questioned everything, if she could love Eli back, if she still loved Eli after what Eli had done, if she still wanted to have hope or not for her reunion with Eli Ayase, not as a member of µ’s, but as the love of her life.

Eli also cried a lot at first. For the first few days, she kept staring at the penknife on her desk. _No… Nozomi counts on me. I promised her, and I will keep to my promise. I am serious about my love for her, and that includes keeping my promises with her._

To stop herself from doing harmful things to herself, Eli confined herself to her bedroom and bathroom for the first few days. She also came up with the idea of sending a picture of her unharmed wrist to Nozomi every day.

nozmoi> i trust you eli. but could you please include a picture of your food with your wrist so i know you are eating well as well? and it helps me to stop overthinking that… you know… you just sent duplicates… 👉👈

eli> haha sure i will do that if it makes you feel better :)

As Eli kept her promise with Nozomi and put steps into place to double confirm that she would not do anything bad, Nozomi found a sliver of renewed hope. As long as Eli kept her promise, it meant that she still cared about her. She cared enough to at least honour her word. That relieved Nozomi greatly, to know that not only was Eli safe, but was she also sincere. Sure, she needed more time, but she was making an effort to be positive instead of succumbing to her emotions.

eli> every day is difficult, but i think a lot about it at the café and at home and i realised that i really do need you

nozomi> i’m so glad ;;

eli> i love youuuuu ssndnd :’D

nozomi> i lov yoeu too

eli> eow you can’t spell huh

nozomi> no i’m ok i just typed that with one hand and i totally can see the keyboard, i’m nit crtinf

eli> yojre clearly cryinf nozomu

nozomi> you too elu

eli> ykniw what letd just see each other again i cant stand this anymore ans i niss you and i really do need you and i know i’ll be sincere to this relatiosnship as long as i keep my promise

nozomi> i love youuu

eli> as long as i keep my promise, we will never separate again, okay?

nozomi> ok :D

eli> you will make sure i don’t harm myself, and i will make sure you are happy, okay?

nozomi> of courseeeee <33 ily so much i wanna see you

* * *

Following the wonky blue arrow on Google Maps, Eli stumbled here and there like a lost puppy, unsure of where its home was.

Just then, Nozomi called her on her phone. “I can see youuu, Eli,”

“Where are you?” Eli asked, looking left and right for a trace of Nozomi. Just then, she noticed a flash of purple hair fly downwards and behind a backyard bush. “Oh, that house,”

“No!! You’re not supposed to see me yet, Eli−” Nozomi started, but Eli hung up. “Hey! Eli! Come back! Ughhhh," she groaned into her phone after hearing the dial tone.

Eli knocked on Nozomi’s door a few minutes later, holding a bag of coffee for Nozomi and herself. Nozomi opened it eagerly, jumping into Eli’s arms. “I missed you so much…” Nozomi said. “Same,” Eli sighed, walking into Nozomi’s house and placing the coffee down onto the table.

\--

“I’m so happy that you kept your promise,” Nozomi smiled while sipping the caffé mocha Eli had brought from the café.

“Mhm,” Eli nodded. “Even if I have doubts in the future, I know I’ll be okay as long as I keep my promise. And we need to be with each other as much as possible, okay?”

“Yay!! Eli, I want to be with you as well,” Nozomi cheered. “It’s okay for you to feel how you feel, I’ll be your therapist, your hotline, your friend. Everything in one package!”

"F-friend?" Eli blushed. “Uh… girlf-fr-friend…” Nozomi stammered, looking down again.

“That’s right…” Eli said, pecking Nozomi on the cheek. In return, Nozomi pecked her back. The two of them kissed for a bit, before Nozomi got flustered and broke it.

“H-haha, I’m sorry…” Nozomi mumbled anxiously, fidgeting. “It’s okay, we can practice kissing more in the future,” Eli smirked. “You’re still a bottom like all those years ago…”

“H-hey!” Nozomi cried. “I’m… I can be… a t-t…”

“No way, you’ll be a bottom your whole life!” Eli declared. 

“No… that’s not true!”

“Keep denying it, go on,”

"Ugh! Eli!"

The two of them bickered on as the sun set. After a few rounds of play fighting, they both got tired and fell asleep on the sofa in each other’s arms. The winter was just beginning in real life, but the winter in Nozomi and Eli’s hearts had ended already. They both felt the warmth of each other’s beating hearts, and Eli vowed to never bring winter back that day.

The next morning, Eli told Nozomi that she had organised a scavenger hunt. “Just for me?”

“Yes, just for you,” Eli whispered into Nozomi’s ear, stroking her hair.

“Where is it?”

“I’ll give you hints.”

* * *

Eli set off to her checkpoints first to get ahead of Nozomi and so that Nozomi would not be able to follow her. Once she reached every checkpoint on her route, she would text Nozomi the hints to her next location. By the second-last checkpoint, Nozomi had travelled for about an hour already. She was ten train stations away from her house. Staring at the final list of directions, she set off for the last checkpoint. As she neared, she felt a surge run through her brain. _I’ve been here before… but when?_

As she slowly crossed the road and stared at her phone for directions, it did not occur to Nozomi where she had ended up. Just then, she felt a step in front of her. “Oh! I nearly tripped on it,” she gasped, catching her phone that flew out of her hands. When she looked upwards at where she was, her jaw dropped.

“Eli…” Nozomi trailed off. For one, she did see Eli. Eli was her final checkpoint, but where she was standing shocked Nozomi even more. She was standing atop a flight of stairs, in front of a clear blue sky and a giant brick building with white columns. On top of the entrance, a golden crest with a sakura petal on it brightly shone.

“Otono… kizaka,” Eli whispered as Nozomi climbed the flights of steps up. When Nozomi reached, she took hands with Eli and hugged her with a huge beam on her face. “Otonokizaka…” Nozomi sighed.

“Where we first met,” Eli said.

\--

Eli started to speak. "I felt scared that I was undeserving of your love." Nozomi only calmly shook her head. 

“I ran away because I was scared of the idea of love and commitment,” Eli continued with a grim face. Nozomi frowned. _Was this what Eli was beating herself up for?_

“I didn’t try to contact you after so many years… would you still love me?” Eli finished. Nozomi walked over and hugged Eli with tears in her eyes. “Eli… I didn’t try to contact you either,” Nozomi mumbled while stroking Eli’s hair. “None of us knew what to do and it’s ok.”

“I love you, Nozomi,” Eli sniffed. Her eyes looked even more radiant in the late autumn afternoon sunlight. “You’re perfect in my eyes. You can do it… you loved me with your true heart 6 years ago when we were in the third year. You can do it again now, right?” Nozomi said.

“If you can’t do it, I’ll show you how I love you. Even if it takes you weeks, months or years for you to feel true love again, I’ll wait for you because I love you.”

Eli started to sob. Thankfully, it was a Saturday and no one was in Otonokizaka High to witness the incident. Nozomi and Eli had the whole moment to themselves.

“Don’t cry, Eli,” Nozomi whispered. “I don’t like it when you cry…”

“I don’t know wh-why I’m crying… it’s so w-weird,” Eli stammered into Nozomi’s cardigan through her sobs.

“We’ll get through this together,” Nozomi smiled. “We will both love each other one day.”

* * *

Nozomi and Eli went to a café and shared a parfait for tea. There, they officially agreed to date each other. They wanted to give dating each other a try, and Nozomi promised to never leave Eli’s side until the days of sakura petals; until the both of them could embrace the sadness in their hearts; until spring came for both of them again. Most importantly, until Eli could feel true love again.

.

.

.

.

_22nd December 2020_

It was the first day of winter, and Nozomi and Eli decided to take a train to a random location for their 1-month anniversary. It sounded little, but every baby step they took was a major milestone for them. “A thousand mile journey starts with a single step,” Nozomi said. “No, it starts with you!” Eli quipped, hugging Nozomi in the train station.

They navigated to whichever train station they felt like, based on random turns and line changes they made. Half an hour later, they found themselves in the plaza outside Tokyo Station. A huge christmas tree stood in the middle, and it was shining like a beacon in the night sky. As they sat down at the foot of the tree to admire the people and traffic flowing by, Nozomi suddenly stretched her gloved hand out.

“A snowflake…” Eli whispered in awe. More snow soon began to fall, and the two of them smiled. Although winter had just begun, they felt the warmest warmth in their hearts. They were the only people in each others’ world at that moment, but the warmth they radiated to each other was eternal and infinite.

An advertisement rang on the digital billboard on an office building. “This is the Love Live! School Idol Project fanclub.”

“Love Live?” Nozomi and Eli said in unison at the mention of the familiar name.

The advertisement continued. “10 years ago, µ’s released their second single ‘Snow halation’ to the world on 22nd December 2010. 10 years on, we would like to commemorate the 10th anniversary of this song as winter starts again. Please put your hands together for the music video, filmed right here outside Tokyo station!”

The 9 girls appeared on the screen, brighter than ever. Eli and Nozomi felt a wave of emotions rush through them as they watched Honoka, Umi and Nozomi take the centre. “That’s you! That’s you!!” Eli pointed towards Nozomi on the screen.

“Stand up, Eli,” Nozomi said, taking her hands. Eli gasped softly, complying.

Nozomi started to dance with Eli under the huge Christmas tree outside Tokyo station, just like they did 10 years ago. They were not dancing any old dance – they were dancing the exact choreography to Snow halation.

The crowd noticed that it was _the_ Ayase Eli and _the_ Toujou Nozomi they were seeing: Ayase Eli and Toujou Nozomi of µ’s! But Eli and Nozomi did not care – only Eli existed in Nozomi’s world, and only Nozomi existed in Eli’s world.

* * *

As the song came to a close, Nozomi stared into Eli's deep blue eyes illuminated by the pale moonlight. For what felt like an eternity, her gaze swept down Eli’s long winding hair, caressing each curl and strand.

Eli wrapped her hand around Nozomi’s, gently tugging it towards her. Silently, Nozomi allowed her to take her hand as she placed her right hand on her left shoulder, Nozomi’s hand still snug inside. Eli stroked Nozomi’s neck with her left hand. Out of the blue, Nozomi softly pecked the corner of Eli's cheek.

A girl with black sunglasses, black hair and a white mask watched on. Her hair was bound into two short pigtails with pink scrunchies. Her mouth dropped. _They’re… they’re dating?_ she thought, as confused as she was shocked, surprised, happy to see her old friends again. Nozomi glanced to the side, noticing her. “Focus on me, not that mysterious girl,” Eli said, turning Nozomi’s head back to face hers.

Another black-haired girl with a bob cut placed her hands in front of what presumably seemed to be her sister’s eyes. “Don’t look, Ruby.”

“Sis! I’m already 20!” the red-haired girl protested, shoving the black-haired girl’s hand aside. “It’s really them… Toujou Nozomi and Ayase Eli from µ’s! Hanamaru- _chan_ told me all about them!”

In turn to Nozomi’s peck, Eli pulled Nozomi’s face in front of hers and kissed Nozomi on the lips. Nozomi and Eli stayed there, frozen in an eternal kiss. Although it was the start of winter for everyone else, it was the end of winter for them. They found each other, they lost each other. But most importantly, they found each other again at the end, and to the end they would stay together, no matter if it was summer or winter.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading all the way until the end !!!! i hope you liked it :]
> 
> –admin ❄️ + admin 🐝  
> @myuzutea on instagram


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